An apparatus with a display function such as a car navigation apparatus uses a map covering some or entire areas of a country. For instance, the map is provided by a car navigation apparatus manufacturer.
As a method for providing map data from a service provider's computer to a user' computer through a network, the following method has been proposed: it is made possible for a user's computer to utilize map data from a service provider's computer, using license data distributed by the service provider; further, a usage fee is charged according to the history of usage with respect to map data used by the user's computer. (Refer to Patent Document 1, for example.)                Patent Document 1: JP-2000-357191 A        
However, the above method involves a problem. Map data is provided by navigation apparatus manufacturers, service providers, or the like, as mentioned above. The map data contains such information as POI (Point of Interest) information (or facility information) and guidance information so as to satisfy a large number of users. Therefore, such map data might contain information unnecessary for a user or contain no information necessary for a user.